Sites

Introduction

From 1939 to 1946, four sites were the main focus of the archaeological expeditions led by Matthew Stirling: Tres Zapotes, Cerro de las Mesas and San Lorenzo in Veracruz, and La Venta in Tabasco. During these field seasons, Stirling and his colleagues made several exploratory trips to other sites and regions, including Corral Nuevo in Veracruz, Piedra Parada and Izapa in Chiapas and the hinterlands of Campeche, Tabasco and Oaxaca. Excavations at the four main sites, however, provided the bulk of monuments, artifacts and information on the Olmec. Furthermore, in the 1950s and 60s the site of La Venta would become the focus for continuing excavations and explorations.